WHAT IS HEAVEN LIKE?

    Some physicists have been suggesting that there may be other universes co-existing with us. Would they be describing Heaven and Hell? To fit biblical descriptions, Heaven and Hell would need to be entirely spiritual in nature. For all descriptions of God and Heaven to be accurate, Heaven’s reality would have to exclude both time and space. (see chapter 4 of Scripture “Versus Science: Reconciling God’s Ancient Wisdom with a Modern World View”) It can probably be safely said that both are something completely different from anything we have experienced in this world. The Bible does contain hints of what we will find.

    The popular idea usually expressed is that St. Peter will meet us at the Pearly Gates. The probable source of this concept is Rev. 21:21 “The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl.” The 12 gates of the heavenly city are made of pearls, but they will be guarded by angels, not Peter.

    (Rev 21:10-12 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates.)

In other words, we may not see the pearly gates when we die, but when the New Jerusalem appears at the end.

    The Book of Life will be opened to check whether we should be there, but that might also occur at the end.

    (Rev. 20:11-15 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.)

    You will commonly read or hear that everyone will get a harp. There is evidence that we will be spending a lot of time praising God. Psalms lists the harp as one of the instruments of praise. In Rev 15:2-3 (I saw what looked like a sea of glass glowing with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and its image and over the number of its name. They held harps given them by God and sang the song of God’s servant Moses and of the Lamb) It has been claimed that we will be is constant worship of God, but this is not completely clear. It may be only the four living creatures and the elders who are in constant worship. However, we might also ask what constant would mean in heaven, since this indicated time.

    The only other reverence to harps in Rev indicates they are held by the living creatures and 24 elders. (Rev:5:6-8 Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits[a] of God sent out into all the earth. 7 He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. 8 And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.)  

    Everyone dressed in white, indicating purity. This is consistent with the bible, mentioned a number of times in a variety of situations.

    We will receive “our” wings upon arrival. Doubtful. It appears that only a few angels and the four living creatures have wings. It would appear that even angels do not commonly have wings. Who/what does?

    Ezek 1:4-9 I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the north—an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal, and in the fire was what looked like four living creatures. In appearance their form was human, but each of them had four faces and four wings. Their legs were straight; their feet were like those of a calf and gleamed like burnished bronze. Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. All four of them had faces and wings,  and the wings of one touched the wings of another. Each one went straight ahead; they did not turn as they moved.

    Ezek 10:3-5 Now the cherubim were standing on the south side of the temple when the man went in, and a cloud filled the inner court. Then the glory of the Lord rose from above the cherubim and moved to the threshold of the temple. The cloud filled the temple, and the court was full of the radiance of the glory of the Lord. The sound of the wings of the cherubim could be heard as far away as the outer court, like the voice of God Almighty[a] when he speaks.

    Ezekiel’s descriptions are pretty interesting, and cherubim are certainly not quaint little sprite which shoots love arrows. They would be very frightening. Cherubim are mentioned frequently in the old testament, and there were two Cherubim mounted on the Ark of Covenant. Ezekiel indicates that the Cherubim have two wings, and the four living creatures have four, but he also indicates the two are the same thing. Any others?

    Isa 6:1-2 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.

    This is the only mention of Seraphim having wings.

    Rev 4:8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings.

    Is there a Purgatory? There may be some justification of this concept in that The Revelation seems to indicate that all will be judged at the same time. However, experiential reports of those having had some kind of near death experience indicate that they went to Heaven before returning to life. It is clear, though, that everyone will be judged on the basis of their deeds while living. It is unlikely that family or friends can alter, in any way, a person’s fate while in this waiting period.

    I Thes 4:16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

Rev. 20:11-12 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.

    “90 Minutes in Heaven”, “Heaven is Real” are two highly recommended books for those who want to understand what happens. The author of the former found himself standing and talking to family, friends, and those whom he had somehow touched. They were outside a city wall, and he returned to life before entering the gate. “Heaven is Real” is about a 5 year old who was taken up while is a critical operation, and sat in the lap of Jesus during the procedure. The things he told his father after return agreed with scripture, and they were things that he had not yet been taught prior to the experience.

    John 14:1-3 Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

    This passage relates to church being the bride of Christ. There are a variety of New Testament passages comparing bride/groom relationships to our relationship to Christ.

Rewards: What we do on earth will not get us into heaven – only our belief and faith in Christ will do that. However, it is clear throughout the New Testament that our work here will be rewarded in Heaven. What the rewards might be is not known, but I Cor 3:8 says, The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. This is only one reference to treasures in Heaven, although the bible never really says what the treasures are, and there are references to receiving a crown, perhaps the nature of which will indicate our works here.

    So . . . what do we know?

1    1.      Heaven has to be spiritual – no space, no time. 

      2.    St. Peter will not be at the pearly gate, it will be guarded by angels.             

3.      We may not see any pearly gates until the New Jerusalem is revealed. 
4.      If our name is not in the Book of Life we will not be admitted to Heaven. This book might not be opened until the end, though.
5.      Our deeds are being recorded, and might determine our Heavenly rewards. 
6.      It is unlikely that we will be wearing wings. 
7.      Will we be given a harp and will we be in constant worship? Scripture is not completely clear, so this is unknown. 
8. we are accountable for our actions, but no one can stand before a perfect and Holy God and plead admission on the basis of their actions. No matter how good our life may be, not one person goes to the grave as a perfect individual. It is only through Christ that we will be considered perfect by our Holy and Perfect God.